Partners
A commitment to strong partnerships and collaboration is a key element to our farmers’ markets’ success. Allow us to introduce you to some key players.
79 Development
Local Dirt Local Worth is a brand that was created to address the need for awareness and transparency within the local farmers' market community. If you would like more information on how this brand can help support farmers and markets in your region, please message us at @localdirtstory on Facebook & Instagram or email at contact@79dev.com
Brian Mitolo
Brian Mitolo documents local stories for local people. He has been capturing the stories of local farmers in the Peterborough Region for over a decade. His latest film is an introduction to the Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market; this short documentary introduces some of the people behind this successful social enterprise.
Melissa Johnston
Melissa Johnston completed her MA in Sustainability Studies at Trent University where her research focused on the governance and management strategies of farmers’ markets across Ontario. Her project was hosted by the Haliburton County Farmers’ Market Association and in the summer of 2015, she was hired to manage the Minden and Carnarvon farmers' markets. She currently is working with the Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Network to research and produce a farmers’ market improvement guidebook to support best practices for farmers’ markets across the region.
The Nourish Project
Nourish is all about food. Through innovative programs focused on growing, cooking, eating, and advocating for good food, Nourish's work promotes health, community, and fairness. Nourish uses a collaborative approach to grow access to healthy, locally-produced food, food literacy, and civic literacy, while cultivating a sense of belonging.
Nourish Market Dollars: Available for purchase and provided to participants in Nourish’s food skills and civic literacy programs, Market Dollars promote access to healthy, locally-produced food while supporting farmers throughout our region. Nourish Market Dollars have the same value as regular currency but can only be spent at participating markets. Originally limited to the Downtown Farmers’ Market, the program has since expanded to include the new Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market, as well as the markets in Curve Lake and Lakefield. Every dollar benefits our local economy and local producers whether you give them as a gift, use them yourself, or donate to the program. Donations help offset the cost of offering Market Dollars to workshop participants, sustaining both the participants and the local producers. Market Dollars are a great tool for bringing new customers to the markets who may not have visited otherwise.
The DBIA
The Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) is a non-profit organization that represents about 400 businesses in the downtown core. The DBIA has five main goals: accelerate the renewal of the city’s urban core, with quality of life as the underlying theme: build a lasting community for Downtown; recruit investors, entrepreneurs and tenants while retaining those that already call Downtown home; promote a vibrant and diverse Downtown; and make Downtown clean, safe and attractive.
The DBIA is a supporter of the downtown markets in the form of staff advice, and in 2022, grant funding to support both the Saturday and Wednesday farmers’ markets.